Fortitude
by Lola-2011
Summary: The Replicator has upped his game. David's life is hanging in the balance. Erin is hell-bent on revenge. Everything else is just collateral damage. As Erin struggles to regain balance she finds herself growing closer to one of her colleagues.
1. Chapter 1

Fortitude

Summary: The Replicator has upped his game. David's life is hanging in the balance. Erin is hell-bent on revenge. Everything else is just collateral damage. As Erin struggles to regain balance she finds herself growing closer to one of her colleagues.

Agent Blake had offered to drive Erin back to the hotel. They decided to stop and have a cup of coffee on the way. It was a new leaf. After all if they were going to be working together they needed to put the past behind them. Completely behind them.

Alex wasn't sure how to start the conversation. She didn't want it to be about the case. But she didn't how to relax with Erin. Not with all the muddy water between them.

Erin gave her a reassuring smile. "Just breathe, Alex."

Her shoulders slouched and the grip on her oversized coffee mug slackened. "I'm sorry." she apologized. "I've never been good at taking the first step."

"Well, lucky for you, am I." she replied. "How's James?"

"Great." she smiled. "He's great. How are your kids? Teenagers now?"

"Gracie, my youngest, is eleven." she replied. "But the attitude is all teenager."

Bits and pieces of the past flooded back to her. Having it out with a very pregnant Erin Strauss in the middle of a bull pen. "You were pregnant with her during the Amerithrax case."

Erin nodded. "She was born three days after the case was over."

"I thought you still had several weeks to go before delivery?"

She shrugged. "The stress of it all I guess." she admitted. "She was a bit on the small side but healthy."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Alex sighed heavily. "I didn't mean for this conversation to come back to this. To what happened."

"It was a difficult time for everyone involved." she offered. "Decisions like that are never easy for anyone."

"I know I placed a lot of blame at your feet…"

Erin held her hand up to stop her. "It's over, Alex." she told her. "I think we've all paid enough."

"Fair enough." she agreed. "I know we're not suppose to know, but…" she trailed off. "Are things with you and Dave serious?"

She couldn't help but smile at the mere mention of his name. "Things are going very well." she replied. "He's a great guy."

"The two of you always did have explosive chemistry." she told her. "There were even rumors about the two of you."

Erin flashed a smile as she brought her cup up to her lips. "Come on, Alex, you can't always believe everything you hear."

/

The entire room was upside down. "David?" Panic immediately set in. Her heart raced. Her blood ran cold.

That was most definitely blood on the bathroom floor. And no sign of David. Erin reached for her cell phone. The service seemed slower than ever. The ringing took even longer. The ringing started to echo throughout the room. Reaching down she picked up his cell phone out from under the edge of the bed.

The next call she made was answered on the second ring. She didn't even give him the opportunity for a greeting. "Aaron." her voice heavy with worry. "Something's happened."

"Where are you?"

"In my hotel room." she replied. "It's David…"

Within moments he was in the room with her. "What happened?"

"I don't know." she barely breathed out. "I found his phone. And there's….there's blood on the bathroom floor."

Hotchner peered inside the bathroom. "It's going to be okay, Erin." his hands steadied on her shoulders. "We'll find him."

The tears were evident in her eyes. "The Replicator has him."

"Dave's a resilient agent." he tried to assure her. "He'll be okay."

/

It was from the rooftop that she spotted Hotchner and Rossi. And it was from the rooftop that she willed herself not to breakdown. She rushed down the fire escape, down the street to where Aaron was with David. Agent Morgan hot on her trail. When they arrived Aaron was administering CPR. And Morgan was doing everything in his power to hold her back.

She felt like so much time had passed before the medics arrived. And it was Hotchner that rode with him. Ordering Morgan to drive the Chief to the hospital. The ride was eerily silent. And at one point Morgan reached for her hand, gently squeezing it. Erin who had her eyes fixed on the passenger side window squeezed back wanting to let him know that she appreciated the gesture.

When the others arrived at the hospital they were met by Morgan. "Hotch is with Strauss in a private waiting room."

"How does it look?" JJ asked.

He shrugged. "Haven't heard anything yet."

Blake nodded. "And Strauss?"

"Not good."

"What does Hotch want us to do?" Reid asked. "We should go after the Replicator. We know he's here in New York."

Hotchner came down the hallway. And his entire team seemed frozen. They all moved closer together. "The doctors are working to counteract the drugs. He's stable but still critical."

JJ nodded, holding back tears. "Is he going to be okay?"

"They don't know how much damage the drugs have done." he replied, honestly. "Right now they're trying to keep his vitals stable. His temperature was very high when he was brought in."

Blake swallowed hard. "How high?"

"A hundred and five."

Reid decided that now would be a really good time to keep his profound knowledge to himself. "Rossi…he'll be fine."

"We need to get out there and look for this guy." he told his team. "But someone needs to be here with Chief Strauss. I don't want to leave her alone."

"I'll stay." Blake offered. "We have history. Not all bad."

Hotchner nodded. "I'll show you where she is."

tbc…

All thoughts are welcomed! And appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

Fortitude

Chapter: 2

Alex entered the private waiting room a little hesitantly. Emotions were running high. And she could feel the tension as soon as she entered the room. But when she looked at Erin's tear stained face she knew. She just knew. There was more than worry etched on her face. There was determination and anger and revenge.

She quietly closed the door behind her. "Can I get you anything?"

"No." she wiped in vain at the tears spilling down her cheeks. It seemed like the more she wiped away the more that fell.

Alex sat down beside, reaching for a fresh tissue off the corner table and handing it to her. "We'll get him, Erin."

She wiped at the mascara she knew was running. "Somehow that doesn't seem good enough, Alex."

"I know." she replied. "I don't know what else to say."

Her eyes were red and puffy. She was completely vulnerable. Completely undone. "Tell me you're going to help me."

"Help you?"

Erin nodded. "I want this guy." she told her agent. "I want a bullet between his eyes. And I want to put it there."

"You really should stay here with Dave…"

"It's an inside job, Alex."

"Are you sure?"

Erin nodded. "Yes." she replied. "I amended some of Aaron's reports. I've been tracking this guy for months. He's someone within the bureau. Someone that reads my reports when I send them to Director Parker."

"How long have you known this?"

"When I was in with David, briefly, the doctor showed me a marking on his wrist. A figure eight. It was something I added in to one of my recent reports."

Alex nodded. "Does Hotch know this?"

She shook her head. "I really need your help on this, Alex. I need to know who reads those reports. I need to know who did this to David." desperation bleed through her voice. "Please, Alex?"

/

Alex knocked lightly on the open hospital door before entering. David was still out of it, cords and tubes and machines everywhere. Erin was sitting beside his bed, both of her hands holding his. And Alex was positive she had never seen Strauss so raw and vulnerable. "How is he?"

"Coming around." she answered. "His temperature is at ninety-nine and his vitals are stable. The doctors put him in a medically induced coma for now."

She stopped at the end of the bed. "I got the information you wanted."

Erin was immediately on her feet. "How many suspects?"

"Ten." she laid them on the counter beside the sink. "I thought we could eliminate them together."

And together they went through all the folders only ending up with two possibilities. John Curtis and Isaac Thompson.

Erin repeated the names in her head several times. But neither of them seemed to ring a bell with her. Alex studied to two photos in front of her. "Curtis worked on the Amerithrax case." she told her boss. "He was one of the ones that took the fall that day."

And sudden everything came together for Erin. Bells and whistles sounded in her head. This entire thing wasn't about the team. It was about her. It was supposed to be her in the hotel room, not David. She was responsible for everything. The revelation took the breath right out of her. And Blake quickly moved to steady her superior.

"Are you okay, Erin?"

"I need a vest, Alex." she told her. "And a service weapon."

Alex didn't understand. She knew that Erin had connected some dots in her head but she was holding her answers close to the vest. "I can't let you do this."

"Can't?" she repeated. "I'm in charge."

"You can't do this alone." she rephrased. "I want to help you."

"This is my mess, Blake." her voice was firm. "I'll take care of it."

"No." Alex's voice was just as firm. "There's no way you're doing this alone. I'll get you what you need but I'm going with you."

Erin knew she had hit a brick wall. "Fine." she quickly agreed. "But I call the shots."

Alex nodded in understanding. "I'm just here to back you up."

Aaron Hotchner stepped inside the doorway. "We'll all back you up, Erin." he told her. "We're a team, your team, and we're at your complete disposal."

Erin looked between Hotchner and Blake. "How long have you been standing outside the door?"

"Long enough to know that there's no way in hell you're going to do this alone." his voice was firm. "If the Replicator wants you then the last thing you need to be doing is taking him on alone."

"I'm perfectly capable of handling myself, Agent." Erin told him. "But we are a team. And that's how we're going to handle this. As a team."

Aaron nodded in agreement. "I'll gather the team."

"I don't want David to be here alone." she said. "Agent Jareau will stay behind with him."

"Yes ma'am."

/

/ Virginia /

Confusion clouded the air. And an explosion was on the horizon. It had to be. Curtis had enough C2 to blow them all to the heavens and back. All the agents seemed to be accounted for. Everyone but Chief Strauss.

Hotchner's eyes searched for Erin in the crowd of emergency responders. "Where is she?" he asked. "Where's Chief Strauss?"

Morgan looked around. "She was right behind me."

His heart pounded in his chest. "Find her!" he ordered his team.

In the cellar Erin came face to face with the man who had started this entire thing. The man that had caused so much pain and suffering. And all because of something that happened more than a decade ago. All because of something she was a part of.

His voice was so condescending when he spoke. "Happy now, Chief Strauss?"

She subconsciously took a step back. "You're sick."

"And it's your fault, Erin." he told her. "You set all of this in motion. This is your mess. It's your fault that Agent Rossi is fighting for his life."

"David is going to be fine."

"That's what you'd like to believe isn't it?" he asked. "That all of this is just going to go away and you're going to come out smelling like a rose again. I'm here to tell you that things don't always work out that way. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices, Erin."

"I couldn't agree more." she drew her gun. "There's no way you're getting away with this."

Curtis laughed. "There's no way you'll shoot me."

"You don't think so?"

"I don't think you've ever fired a weapon in the field." he condescended her. "In fact I don't think you'll want to dirty your hands." He stood with his arms wide open, giving her the perfect shot. Several long moments lingered silently and Curtis started laughing. "I knew you didn't have it in you."

It was then that the shot rang out loudly. Reverberating off the stone walls, screaming in her ears. Curtis crumbled to the floor in a heap. And Erin felt strong arms encircle her. "It's okay." Hotchner whispered, taking the gun from her. "Let's get you out of here."

"No." she fought him. "I need to see." she cried. "I need to see if he's really dead."

Hotchner kept his hold on her. "He's really dead." he assured her. "Perfect shot, Erin. Now we need to get out of here. This whole thing is rigged to blow."

No sooner than they had gotten across the yard the explosion rang out in the distance. Hotchner's body protecting hers as they hit the ground.

tbc….


	3. Chapter 3

Fortitude

Chapter: 3

The various siren lights illuminated her tearstained face almost eerily. She sat in the back of the ambulance and waited for the paramedic to finish his evaluation. Her mind was racing. The adrenaline rush was tapering off and she was left with all these emotions she didn't quite know what to do with. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned toward the warmth. "How are you holding up, ma'am?" Agent Morgan asked.

"I'm a little shaken." she admitted freely. "But I'm still here."

Morgan gently squeezed her shoulder in support. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"No." she replied. "As soon as I'm cleared I'm heading back to New York."

He nodded. "We're here for you, I hope you know that."

Erin smiled briefly. "I do now." she replied. "Thank you, Morgan."

"Anytime." his smile was truly something to behold. Even Erin had to admit it. "Can I just tell you how impressed I am by you? You were a total badass with Curtis. During this whole thing."

"Once upon a time I was a field agent." she told him. "Not in the BAU but nevertheless."

"Maybe when all of this is over you can join us in the field from time to time." he suggested. "And not just as an overseer either."

"Thank you for the invitation." she said. "But I'm thinking after all this early retirement is looking pretty damn good."

Morgan shook his head. "Definitely not an option." he told her. "After everything Curtis has put this team through you can't let him win. Not like this."

"You're very sweet, Derek." her voice was soft and sincere. "But I believe this may have been one battle too many."

"I know you feel that way now, in this moment, but things change. Feelings change." he replied, softly. "Now isn't the time to make any sort of decision. Let things calm down first. Normalcy has to set back in."

"I'm not sure I know what that is anymore."

Morgan took her hand in his. "You will." he promised her. "You and Dave will figure this out together."

Erin sighed, heavily. "Oh, I certainly hope so."

/

The doctors explained to Erin that they were going to slowly bring David out of his sedation. That he would be in and out a few times before he was fully awake and aware of his surroundings. Agent Jareau experienced this twice before Erin arrived. David blinked rapidly. His eyes struggled to adjust to even the faintest light. "Ugh." he groaned. "What happened?"

Erin was quickly at his side. "You're going to be fine." her voice was warm and soft and so full of love and promise. She finally felt her lungs inflating again.

"Of course I am." he smiled up at her. "You're here."

His smile melted her heart. A smile she wasn't sure she would ever see again. Tears started to well up in her eyes. "I was so scared, David."

"Hey, hey." he reached up to wipe away her fallen tears. "No crying, baby." he soothed her. "Takes a little more than being drugged by an unsub to take out David Rossi."

"I'm glad to see that this hasn't spoiled your ego."

"Never." he smiled at her. "Besides I have much better things planned for us than letting it all end now."

"Planned?" she questioned.

David nodded. "Things kind of got ruined last night but I think it's safe to say you're stuck with me. Especially after this."

"I don't know if I would use the word stuck."

"I love you so much." he told her. "So very much."

Erin smiled. He had said those words to her many, many, times but now they sounded different. They felt different. "I love you, too."

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you." he told her. "I want a wedding. A big one. And a month long honeymoon. I want you to have my last name. No hyphenation. Just Rossi."

She took his hand in hers and kissed the palm of his hand. "David it's been a helluva night…"

"Yeah and not in the way I had planned."

Erin cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean planned?"

"I was going to purpose." he said, softly. "I have the ring at the hotel. And it's not tacky either. Very elegant and classy. Just like you."

"You really were going to purpose?"

David nodded. "Don't tell me you didn't see this coming?"

"I…I didn't."

"Still in shock, I see." he teased. "I don't think I've ever witnessed Erin Strauss speechless."

"Shocked is not the word I would use, David." she replied. "Surprised maybe but not shocked."

"I want to give you a proper proposal."

"I didn't know there was such thing as a proper proposal."

His took her left hand in his, his thumb rubbing over her bare ring finger. "You deserve better than a hospital bed plea."

"We both know David Rossi doesn't plead."

"That's beside the point." he smirked adorably. "I want to do something special. Something memorable."

Erin closed the space between them, her lips ever so lightly meeting his. "I'm sure whatever you had in mind will be perfect."

"I aim to please."

"And you never disappoint." she smiled. "At least you haven't yet." her smile faded as she remembered the events that landed them in this situation. "You should rest."

David immediately noticed the shift in her emotions. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." she gave a quick smile. "I just don't want to wear you out."

"No." he shook his head. "It's more than that."

"I'm just tired."

"What happened, Erin?"

She shook her head, closing her eyes to hold I the tears. "Not now, David." she whispered. "Please not now."

His heart felt like it would pound right out of his chest. "Did he hurt you?"

Tears glistened in those green eyes. Tears that made him want to put his fist through the wall. "Erin?"

She lifted her eyes to look at him. "Not in the way you think." she replied. "I almost lost you. I don't think I've ever been so scared in my entire life."

"It's okay now." he tried his best to assure her. "Everything is going to be okay. It may take some time but everything is going to be fine."

Erin nodded. "The team wants to see you." she sailed into another subject. "They've all been in to see you before the doctor eased up on your sedation."

David gently squeezed her hand in his. "Have you eaten?" he asked. "Have you slept?"

She simply shook her head.

"You need to get something to eat." he told her. "And then you need to get some sleep. I'll be fine. Reid or Morgan can stay here with me. Have Alex or Hotch take you back to the hotel."

/

"How are you feeling, old man?" Hotch asked from the end of the hospital bed. "Gave us all a pretty good scare."

David reclined the bed forward. "Who are you calling old?"

He took a seat in the chair across from the bed. "I'm just glad you're okay." he told him. "It didn't look good there for a while."

"I'm tougher than the Replicator thought."

Aaron nodded. "Curtis." he told him. "The Replicator case is now closed."

"I'm glad I could be of assistance."

"I've never seen Erin more determined." he told him. "She was hell-bent on seeing this through to the very end."

David smiled. "That's my girl." he was practically beaming with pride. "She's much more than a figurehead."

"I know that." he replied. "I've always known that."

There is was again. That silence. That lingering silence. Unspoken words thickly hanging in the air. "I feel like I'm being left out of the loop here." he said. "Just tell me what happened."

Aaron exhaled heavily. He wasn't quite sure where to start. "John Curtis was in the FBI. He was involved in the Amerithrax case. He was after Erin the entire time. She was the one who put the pieces together and she was the one who went after him."

"What do you mean went after him?"

"I mean with a vest and a service weapon." his voice was become lower than usual. "Erin…she…she shot him. Killed him. I barely got us out of the cellar before it exploded."

David's head was spinning trying to take in all the information. Trying to process the words that just came out of his superior's mouth. "You were with her."

"I heard the shot and ran toward the sound." Aaron told him. "Curtis was dead, but Erin wanted to make sure. I told her it was over, and that he was dead. But it was like she needed that final confirmation. Everything just happened so fast. I just wanted to get her out of there."

"She didn't tell me any of this."

"Erin's exhausted." he reasoned. "And she's focusing on you. On making sure you're okay."

He nodded. "I want her to be okay, too."

"Then rest up." he suggested. "She was terrified of losing you and she pushed the limits because of it. Once the adrenaline dies down she'll relax enough to tell you everything."

"I need you to look after her." David told him. "Make sure she eats and sleeps."

"I'll take her back to the hotel myself."

to be continued….


	4. Chapter 4

Fortitude

Chapter: 4

Hotchner pushed the door of his room open and let Erin inside. He dropped two bags down on the edge of the bed. "Are you okay?"

Erin looked around the room. The layout was the exact opposite of the room she was sharing with David. She knew that no matter where she laid her head down the nightmare would find her. "I'm afraid to be alone." she answered. "I'm afraid to sleep."

Strong arms wrapped securely around her and she sank into his welcomed embrace. "It's okay." he whispered into blonde tresses. "You don't have to be alone. I'm going to stay with you the entire time."

"I almost lost him." her voice was soft and weak. "All because of something that I was a part of more than a decade ago."

"None of this was your fault, Erin." he gently stroked her hair. "This was all on Curtis. He's the one responsible."

"I wish that made it all better."

"Just breathe, Erin." he said, softly. "I know that your head is spinning right now but you just need to relax and take care of you."

Erin pulled back to look at him. "Thank you."

He brushed a stray tear off her cheek with the back of his finger. "I just want you to be okay."

She nodded. "I will be."

"I know you will." he smiled. "You're one of the strongest women I know. One of the best agents. No one can fire a gun like you can."

Erin arched an eyebrow.

"I haven't forgotten." he told her. "Why don't you take a shower and I'll order you something to eat."

"I grabbed something with Alex."

Hotch shook his head. "You picked over a fruit cup in the hospital cafeteria."

Erin rolled her eyes slightly annoyed that Alex had tipped Hotchner off.

"Come on." he encouraged. "I promised Dave I would take care of you. And you're not making it easy."

"Like you'd expect anything less." she opened one of the bags Hotchner had placed on the bed. Tucked in the inside zipper of David's bag her hand came in contact with a small smooth box. A little black box. "Did you know about this?" she asked him.

"Yes." Aaron replied, snatching it from her hand. "Don't ruin the surprise."

"I kind of already know."

He placed the box back in the bag and zipped it up. "You don't know what it looks like though."

"Do you?" she asked. Silence lingered. "Simple round solitaire?" she asked after a beat.

"Far from."

"Can you at least tell me how long he's been planning this?"

Aaron took her hand in his forcing her to look at him. "What's all this about?"

She shrugged. "Curiosity."

"No." he replied. "It's more than that. What's going on, Erin?"

She let go of his hand. "How can you ask me that?" she walked toward the window. "In the past twenty-four hours David was attacked and almost died. I killed a man. All because Curtis wanted me. Innocent people lost their lives because of what I did over a decade ago."

"And I told you this isn't your fault." he tried to reason with her. "Everything that happened, all that stuff that Curtis did, is on him. Not you."

"That still doesn't change anything that happened, Aaron." she said, tearfully. "It doesn't undo anything that happened and it sure as hell doesn't give me peace of mind. It just doesn't."

He moved toward her. "You need to rest." His hands came to rest on her shoulders. "I know how you feel. Your mind is racing right now. The very best thing to do is just get some rest."

Erin sighed, heavily. Completely defeated. "I'm exhausted." she confessed. "I just don't think I can sleep."

"Are you craving?"

Her eyes met his. The sincerity in them was undoubted. He was probably only one of a few people brave enough to ask her that question. "No." she breathed out. "Not that it hasn't crossed my mind then and again…makes a hell of a numbing agent. But I couldn't. I wouldn't. I've come too far."

Aaron smiled a bit. "That's excellent." he told her. "I'll order us some pasta. You'll take a shower and then I'll lay down with you and we'll both get some rest."

"Okay." she nodded. "Thank you, Aaron."

"What are friends for?"

"Oh, are we friends now?" she smirked.

"Well, I thought so."

"Because of David?"

Hotchner shook his head. "I've always liked you." he told her. "On some level."

"You do make a good sparring partner."

/

Sleep came easily for Erin. Within moments of her head hitting the pillow she was fast asleep. For Hotchner not so much. He laid there on the opposite side of the bed watching her sleep. His own demons were keeping him awake. It took a while to settle them and drift off.

He awoke to the sound of whimpering. Erin was battling something within her unconscious state. The last thing he wanted to do was startle her awake. He moved closer wrapping his arm around her sleeping form. Within moments she relaxed and he drifted back off to sleep.

When Erin opened her eyes she found Hotchner in her direct line of vision. His arm draped over her waist. Aaron felt her stir and was immediately awake. "You okay?" he asked, sleepily. "Something wrong?"

"No." she replied, brushing blonde locks away from her face. "What time is it?"

He rolled over, and away from her, picking his cell up off the nightstand. "Almost five." he told her. "Feeling better?"

"Not as tired." she rolled over onto her back. "I had a dream…nightmare really."

"About Curtis?" he asked, sitting up. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't really remember it." she replied. "Just that he was there. Taunting me. And then I started dreaming about rollercoasters at Six Flags. You know the Batman one? David was on a case hunting down the Joker."

Hotchner chuckled. "You like rollercoasters?"

"Yeah." she sighed. "Don't you?"

"I just can't quite picture you on a rollercoaster, that's all."

Erin pushed herself up in the bed. "I can't quite picture you as a cuddler either but you've just proven me wrong."

"I was comforting you." he felt the need to explain. "You were having a nightmare."

"Relax, Aaron, I'm just giving you a hard time." she said. "That must have been the reason my dream shifted like it did. Which I'm thankful for so thank you, Aaron."

"You're quite welcome."

"Take me back to the hospital?"

Hotchner nodded. "Of course."

to be continued…


End file.
